Month: March 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

DETROIT, MI – An Inkster resident appeared in federal court this afternoon in Detroit on charges stemming from a bank robbery in Dearborn, Michigan, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Joining United States Attorney Dawn Ison in the announcement is Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh Hauxhurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Issa Shahin, Chief, Dearborn Police Department.

Appearing was Charles William Woolery, age 52.

According to court records, on March 2, 2022, at approximately 3:04 p.m., Woolery, wearing a tan Carhartt suit, black beanie hat, and a black facemask, entered the Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, located at 22315 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, approached a victim teller, handed her a note and gestured to his hip as if he had a weapon. The note demanded the teller to “smile” and put money in a bag or Woolery would “kill everyone.” The teller, fearing for her safety, placed $1,690 in a black bag and handed it to Woolery. Woolery then fled the bank on foot and was later arrested by Dearborn police officers, without incident, in a Port-a-John located in the parking lot of the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue. Officers found the $1,690 in the front of a Lions’ hoodie that Woolery was wearing. Officers also found the black beanie hat, black facemask, the robbery note, a full tan Carhartt style suit, and tan gloves like those used in the bank robbery in the Port-a-John where Woolery was found hiding.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, determinations will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.

If convicted, Woolery faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for bank robbery. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI along with the assistance of the Dearborn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosemary Gardey is prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Texas physician was convicted today for unlawfully prescribing more than one million pills of the opioid hydrocodone.   

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, James Pierre, 52, a doctor, of Houston, unlawfully prescribed controlled substances from June 2015 through July 2016 to individuals posing as patients at West Parker Medical Clinic (West Parker), a pill-mill clinic located in Houston. 

Trial evidence showed that Pierre, along with his physician assistant, issued unlawful prescriptions for hydrocodone and carisoprodol, a combination of controlled substances known as the “Las Vegas Cocktail,” to hundreds of individuals posing as patients each week. So-called “runners” brought numerous people to pose as patients at West Parker and paid approximately $220 to $500 in cash for each visit that resulted in prescriptions for dangerous drugs. Throughout the scheme, West Parker made approximately $1,750,000 from prescriptions, and over $300,000 went to Pierre.

Pierre was convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and seven counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27 and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

To date, one co-conspirator has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the DEA’s Houston Division made the announcement.

DEA Houston investigated the case.

Trial Attorney John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Trial Attorney Maryam Adeyola of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Muschenheim of the Southern District of Texas is handling forfeiture.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Susan Irene Romero, 64, of Gilbert, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 26 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,360,000 in restitution. Romero pleaded guilty in May 2021 to embezzlement of credit union funds.

Romero worked for the Winslow Santa Fe Credit Union for more than 30 years, mostly in leadership roles, including as manager, president, and chief executive officer. During a routine audit, the credit union found discrepancies in the financial records. A subsequent investigation showed that, over the course of many years, Romero embezzled more than $2.2 million from the credit union. In her plea agreement, Romero admitted that she stole the money through unauthorized cash withdrawals, checks issued with forged signatures of other employees, and transfers from the credit union account to her family members’ accounts. She covered her tracks through false entries in the financial statements, such as falsifying the amount of cash stored in the vault and offsetting the stolen money with fictitious assets.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-08057-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 033_Romero

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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